Filtered Sessions

With almost 35 states, cities, and counties with mandatory paid sick leave laws, HR's job has gotten even harder ‐ particularly in companies with employees in multiple states. HR professionals are increasingly confused about how to remain in compliance with the myriad of rules that are not consistent from one location to the next, while Payroll professionals are pulling their hair out to get their systems programmed to handle the often complex accrual and record‐keeping requirements. Join us for an interactive and lively discussion about how best to get in compliance in this ever‐evolving area of HR. This will be a hands‐on, deep dive for those who want to dig into the details of how to get into compliance in this challenging area. We will split up into small groups to develop sample policies. All HR professionals will better understand the most current sick leave laws, the complexity of multi‐state compliance, and the evolving trends.

Learning Objectives:

• A description of the current paid sick leave laws including updates for 2025.
• Paid Family Leave programs and how they differ from paid sick days.
• Understanding the impact on vacation and PTO plans.

The rules governing HR and benefits are confusing and complex. It is difficult to understand how they all fit together as coherent rules and how to apply them in various situations. Many learn ad hoc as the need arises leaving a confusing tangle of seemingly contradictory rules.

This session will provide a high-level overview of the basics of HR and benefits compliance. It will provide attendees an understanding of the structure of the core HR and benefits rules, how they work together, and how to apply them in specific situations.

The program will cover the core HR, leave, and benefits requirements that all HR professionals should know. The presenters will give the attendees a structure to bring some order and understanding to the seemingly arbitrary rules associated with HR and benefits compliance. Knowing the internal structure and logic of individual rules and regulations helps to broaden and clarify the rules when applying them to specific instances.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the overall structure, organization and methodology (versus just a recitation of specific rules) of ERISA, IRC and other laws and regulations that govern employee benefits and be able to apply to specific situations.
• Learn the overall structure, organization and methodology of the core HR rules and requirements and be able to apply to specific situations.
• Learn the basics of the various paid leave requirements in the various states and other jurisdictions and how they interact with the federal rules and be able to apply in specific situations.

According to a recent Greenwald Research study, 89% of participants agreed that having guaranteed retirement income would affect their current well-being retirement. As a result of data like this, lifetime income options are becoming the newest trend in helping plan participants prepare for retirement. And the Secure Act and Secure Act 2.0 have made this a key component in the future of retirement plans as a benefit. But what exactly IS lifetime income? How does it work? Are there different options for providing this in a retirement plan? What are the fiduciary considerations (and risks) in offering such options? What plans are this appropriate for? During our session, we'll discuss the landscape of lifetime income options and what it means to your plan and your employees. We will cover the fiduciary aspects of evaluating the need for these solutions for your employees as well as help you with some recommendations on how to choose between the various options if you decide to offer one.

Learning Outcome 1: What is retirement income and should we consider offering such options?

Learning Outcome 2: Pros and Cons of offering income options inside your plan.

Learning Outcome 3: How to establishing a prudent selection and monitoring process for income options.

The landscape of workplace leave laws in the United States is growing increasingly complex, with state and local jurisdictions introducing diverse regulations designed to address the evolving needs of today’s workforce. For employers, understanding and managing these laws is critical to fostering compliance, maintaining employee trust and relations, and creating a supportive workplace culture and environment. In this session, we will explore the trends shaping state and local leave laws, such as paid family, sick, bereavement, and other statutory leave entitlements. Attendees will gain insights into the administrative challenges posed by overlapping or intersecting laws, remote workforce considerations, and the enforcement landscape. The presentation will provide actionable strategies and tools to help employers navigate compliance while aligning leave policies with broader business objectives.

Learning Outcome 1: Understanding Statutory/Local Leave Law Trends: Learn about the latest trends and developments in state and local leave laws, including paid sick leave, family leave, and other emerging regulations.

Learning Outcome 2: Mitigate Legal Risks: Develop strategies to address conflicting federal, state, and local leave requirements to minimize compliance risks.

Learning Outcome 3: Leverage Modern Tools: Discover the tools and technology available to streamline leave administration and ensure accurate tracking and reporting.

Are you looking to attract and retain key talent? Nonqualified benefit programs are used to help provide ways for executives to shelter money from taxes, BUT they carry a lot of risks, are somewhat complicated, and can be expensive to administer. What if there was another way? What if there might be a better way? Let me introduce you to the 162 Bonus Program, a unique alternative that has a lot of upsides for the executive, eliminates the risk of forfeiture, but also gives the employer a clawback option.

Learning Outcome 1: What are 162 bonus programs and what makes then different from Nonqualified Deferred Compensation programs under IRC 409A?

Learning Outcome 2: How can an organization structure these to retain key talent?

Learning Outcome 3: What are the advantages of this approach over a more traditional executive benefit program?

Compensation is more than a budget line item—it’s a strategic tool that reflects your organization’s values and directly impacts retention and engagement. However, many employers either lack a defined compensation philosophy or rely on generic frameworks that fall short of addressing today’s workforce expectations. This session empowers HR professionals with the knowledge and tools to build a compensation philosophy that aligns with organizational goals, advances pay equity, and strengthens the business case for fair pay. Using a real-world case study, participants will explore the pitfalls of “market rate” benchmarks and discover actionable methods for calculating internal role value, correcting historical pay biases, and creating transparent compensation formulas. Hands-on tools and interactive exercises will help attendees design strategies that attract talent, improve retention, and embed fairness as a competitive advantage, providing a foundation for success.

Learning Outcome 1: Analyze a real-world case study to identify and address gaps in compensation systems.

Learning Outcome 2: Learn actionable techniques to calculate internal role value and correct historical pay biases.

Learning Outcome 3: Gain tools and insights to build a strategic, values-driven compensation philosophy that meets employee needs, aligns with expectations, and drives pay equity.

Experts invite you to a game of “proverbial poker” where they share their hand in three “rounds”. Each round is designed to share their unique perspectives on pay equity in the new administration. This panel unites experts from two distinct fields—an Industrial-Organizational (I/O) psychologist and a labor economist —to offer a discussion on the current state and future of pay equity. The impact of legal, economic, and statistical factors on pay practices will be covered in three rounds, each involving audience polling for tailored advice: 1. “Let it Ride” – The impact of the Trump administration’s policies on pay equity. 2. “Texas Hold Em” – The rise of state-level pay laws and take-aways for employers. 3. “High Low Chicago” – Best practices for implementing adjustments. Attendees will see how to apply these insights in their organizations. Participants will gain actionable strategies to identify pay disparities, ensure compliance, and implement adjustments.

Learning Outcome 1:Assess the influence of legal and economic factors on pay equity.

Learning Outcome 2: Navigate state-level pay equity regulations.

Learning Outcome 3:Implement customized, effective strategies for addressing pay disparities.

Ever wonder why, despite offering fantastic benefits, employees seem to forget about them after open enrollment? Join us for an enlightening session where we’ll unravel the mystery behind sustaining engagement with your benefit plan. We’ll focus on the mindset shift, effective communication tactics, and building a solid benefits engagement strategy to ensure your workforce not only remembers and appreciates their benefits but uses them throughout the year.

Learning Outcome 1: Recognize the post-enrollment mind shift and challenges in sustaining benefit awareness.

Learning Outcome 2: Improve year-round communication and maximize impact using compelling messaging and diverse channels.

Learning Outcome 3: Implement a benefits engagement strategy that contributes to the employee experience and bolsters your organization’s employee engagement initiatives.

Compensation metrics are intrinsic to the smooth operation of your organization. If you're looking to improve your compensation programs and to pay your employees equitably, it is important to analyze essential pay metrics. Moreover, pay metrics are used to optimize your cash reward strategies and to ensure an aligned fit with your compensation strategy. In this session, you will learn to calculate and use the critical compensation metrics essential to your compensation programs, including compa-ratio, salary range penetration, compensation percentiles, as well as linear regression and standard deviation, and more. Comp metrics consist of more than comparing how your salaries stack up against the competition. They are also used to ensure the crucial objective of achieving pay equity throughout your organization. The more you can base your pay programs on solid industry and reward metrics, the better you'll be able to motivate your workforce and contribute to your organization's success

Learning Outcome 1: The most useful compensation metrics for managing your organization's compensation programs, such as, compa-ratio, salary range penetration, measures of central tendency, and compensation percentiles.

Learning Outcome 2: Practical compensation and pay equity applications using linear regression and standard deviation, and related real-life examples.

Learning Outcome 3: Key questions you should be asking about your pay practices and overall compensation philosophy once you've gathered and calculated your data.

Results from SHRM's Annual Employee Benefits Survey will be covered, including which employee benefits are offered by employers, their prevalence, societal factors that may be influencing employers to increase or decrease their offerings, and how members can utilize the interactive Employee Benefits Benchmarking Tool to view benefits benchmarking data applicable to their organization's size, location, and industry.

Learning Outcome 1: Identify which employee benefits are offered most prominently from SHRM member organizations.

Learning Outcome 2: Interpret increases or decreases in employee benefits offerings based on current societal and workplace factors.

Learning Outcome 3: Understand how to use SHRM's interactive Employee Benefits Benchmarking Tool.

Pay transparency is no longer optional—it's an evolving reality shaping the future of compensation practices. As organizations grapple with growing demands for clarity around pay decisions, they face a spectrum of pay transparency concerns. We will confront organizations' hard questions: How do we explain where any person is paid within the salary range? Why do employees in the same role receive different pay? What are the fundamental tradeoffs of transparency? This candid conversation will challenge participants to reflect on the complexities of pay decisions while offering actionable strategies for documenting compensation philosophies, aligning pay structures with organizational goals, and creating sustainable processes that promote equity and trust. Whether you are navigating these discussions now or preparing to transform your pay program, this session will provide practical tools to help your organization manage transparency effectively.

Learning Outcome 1: Debate and balance the trade-offs that come with pay transparency, including decisions impacting annual pay processes, salary administration, hiring guidelines, pay equity audits, and market competitiveness.

Learning Outcome 2: Develop clear communication tools to proactively address employee questions about salary range placement and pay comparisons.

Learning Outcome 3: Understand how to align pay transparency with organizational goals, covering critical aspects like compensation philosophy, pay advancement, equity processes, and overall pay structure.